It’s almost two years to the day since my last visit to Myanmar so I was delighted to make a five day trip to Yangon last week. It was a welcome break from the daily grind and a chance to explore ideas for a new book that I have been procrastinating about for far too long.

Myanmar is a country of real beauty and intrigue and has retained a strong sense of its cultural identity. Little has changed within the country for decades and as a result it offers a glimpse into lifestyles and traditions which are fast disappearing elsewhere in the region. Despite its abhorrent government, the people are as friendly and welcoming as you could wish for and it is always a pleasure to meet and talk with them.

I am slowly sorting through my snaps from the trip and will be posting more over the next few days. Although there is no shortage of subjects or inspiration in a city as colourful and vibrant as Yangon, one of the highlights for me was simply photographing a bus stop in the rain.

I was wandering back to the hotel from a restaurant one evening and stopped to photograph passengers getting on and off buses in a dimly lit street. Aided by a 50mm 1.2 lens I spent half an hour getting soaked to the skin and the shutter button on my camera is now buggered but it was worth it.

A constant flow of buses pulls up with bus boys touting for customers by shouting out the destinations. Packed with workers going home for the evening, the old Japanese and Korean buses labour through the streets of downtown Yangon then out to the suburbs. 

Setting up this website has been an interesting experience on many levels. It’s been necessary to go through a lot of images and decide what is worthy of being posted while I am in the process of shooting new work. Last night I revisited a few pictures I took in Myanmar, one of the most visually stimulating countries I have visited. Below are a few images that were taken on a train journey with gear far inferior to the stuff I use today and also with a lot less knowledge. The imperfections jump out but I like them. One thing is for sure, they have made me want to return to Myanmar again soon.

Travelling by train in Myanmar is a fabulous experience. I spent the good part of the day enjoying the trip, jumping on and off this old German train trying to get some captivating images.

The train stops every five or ten minutes at a station so there is a constant flow of passengers getting on and off. It’s a photographer’s dream journey.